anyone familiar with Pico?

[Serafina]

I'm going to be up in the area in early Feb, and I'm trying to decide between Okemp and Pico. We'll be up on a Sunday morning. I've been told that Killington gets crowded like crazy on the weekends, so I was thinking instead of Pico (to try something new, since I've skied Okemo).

How good is their grooming crew? How do their blues rate in terms of difficulty compared to Okemo's blues (for example, Sapphire)? Are the trails mostly pretty tight and narrow like MRG or Berkshire East? Or are they a little wider, allow for nice sweeping turns?

 

[playoutside]

I really like Pico. I like Okemo too. They are quite different in some ways.

Okemo puts a lot more money into blowing snow and grooming, so is more predictable for conditions...and crowds on weekends. I find it tough to enjoy Okemo on a weekend, even though I know how to avoid the worst of the crowding.

Pico has more of an old school feeling of skiing with narrower trails. To me it has retained some of the charm I remember from when I learned to ski. They haven't widened slopes as much as many other areas. Okemo has wide slope that are great for cruising.

Pico also has just one base area (versus 2 at Okemo). The lodge is old but I like it. If you want a resort feel to things, I'd say go to Okemo and start at Jackson Gore lodge.

Pico is quite a bit cheaper than Okemo on a weekend too. I'm headed to Pico this Saturday!

 

[Serafina]

Thanks! That's actually very helpful. If conditions are good (i.e., packed powder or some variant) I'll go for Pico. If they're marginal, I'll do Okemo.